ASN targeting vs geo targeting: what each one selects

Originally published on proxymint.

ASN targeting vs geo targeting: one picks the network behind an IP, the other its place. When each matters, and how to verify an exit's ASN and location.

TL;DR

• An IP carries two facts. Geolocation says where it is; the ASN says whose network announces it. ASN targeting selects on the second, geo targeting on the first.
• Most network checks read the ASN type, not the ASN. Ad-fraud filters and hosting rules ask what kind of network an IP sits on, so the proxy type you choose matters more than a named ASN.
• Geolocation gets vaguer as it gets finer. MaxMind estimates 99.8% country accuracy but 66% for US cities within 50 km (checked September 2026), and each target runs its own database.
• ASN targeting narrows the pool hard. One network in one country, and a city on top, can leave a handful of exits or none.
• proxymint targets by country, region and city. It does not sell ASN or carrier selection; the specific ASN matters mainly for carrier-only content and ISP-specific testing.

Key takeaways

• Look up the exits a job uses. A free IP-to-ASN lookup shows the origin ASN and network name in seconds; check the location separately in a geolocation database.
• Match the filter to what the job depends on. A place-dependent job needs geo targeting at the coarsest level that works; a job tied to one named network needs that network.
• Pick the proxy type for the network type. Most jobs depend on the kind of network, not a named ASN, and the tier decides the kind.
• Treat a block as the target's answer. A blocked job stops; it does not move to another network to get past the check.

Read the full guide on proxymint, with the commands, tables and sources.